Night latch



March 25, 1947. c. H. NEHLS 2,418,044

' NIGHT LATCH I Filed Dec. 26; 1944 '2 Sheets-Sheet l' INVENTOR Charles 1?. Noah ls ATTORN EY March 25, 1947. -c. H. NEHLS 2,418,044

- NIGHT LATCH Filed Dec. 26, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' k 42 fikx 7.9 "jg E5 234 \E 5 82 F27 4 55a T /L"ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 25, 1947 NIGHT LATCH Charles H. Nehls, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Independent Lock Company, Fitchburg, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 26, 1944, Serial No. 569,688

13 Claims. (01. 292-169) This invention relates to night latches; more particularly to night latches having a rapid dead-bolting and releasing action. Still more particularly, my invention relates to a combined night latch and mounting means therefor.

It is an object of my invention to provide a night latch characterized by features wherein a spring projected latch bolt may be dead-bolted in the projected position, or held in the retracted position, in which either of these actions may be quickly accomplished by a plunger or push button type of movement as contrasted with heretofore known methods of dead-bolting or locking of the latch bolt in the retracted position thereof by turn buttons or sliding detents.

Night latches having rotatable or slidable dogging means for the latch bolt meet with objection in that the parts are apt not only to entail considerable friction of the moving parts but the position of the latch bolt actuating mechanism is not readily detectible, so that there is considerable annoyance involved in determining whether the latch bolt is dead-locked, or is in retracted position, apart from the necessity for having to become intimately familiar with the actuating mechanism.

The difliculty of setting latches of the character known to me is frequently a deterrent to taking the necessary precautions in dead-locking the latch bolt, leading to the loss of the protection supplied by this type of locking mechanism.

Still more particularly, night latches as known to me, which include provisions for dead-locking the latch bolt, frequently are left in the deadlocked position or become set in dead-locked position by a slamming of the door, making it impossible to key operate the latch from the exterior side of a door.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a night latch characterized by the features that the spring projected latch bolt thereof may be actuated to dead-locked position of the latch bolt or hold the latch bolt in the retracted position by a simple operation involving the depressing of a push button or plunger type dogging member which engages the latch bolt shank, to hold it in one or both of the aforementioned positions.

Still more particularly, it is an object of my invention to provide a night latch which may be dead-locked from the interior, while permitting key operation to release the dead-locking mechanism and to retract the latch bolt.

Still more particularly, it is an object of my 2 invention to provide a night latch which is a simple and compact construction, which may be readily and quickly assembled in position or removed for inspection, maintenance and repair.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of my night latch and strike plate;

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 22of Figure 1; v i

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the dead-locking mechanism in engaging position;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the latch bolt in the retracted position;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the method of mounting the night latch on the mounting plate;

Figure 8 is a section taken Figure 2;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of another embodiment of my invention;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding to Figure 9, with the dead-bolting mechanism in the locking position.

Making reference to the drawing, I show a night latch casing ID, having an end wall ll formed with a latch bolt aperture I 21, through which a latch bolt 13 may be projected into the orifice It of the strike plate 15, held by screws I 6 to the door frame ll or the like. The latch bolt I3 is slotted crosswise at l8 and has therein interfitted, the head IQ of the latch bolt shank 20.

The latch bolt shank 20 is formed with lugs 2 I, which are upset and riveted to a cross bar 22, leaving ears or extensions 23, 23. A spring end seat 24 is provided through an aperture 25, formed in the cross bar, which is aligned with the slot 26 at the end of the latch bolt shank 20. A coiled spring 21 has its head 28 positioned in t he seat 24 and its opposite end 29, engaging the seat 30, formed in the transverse flange 3|. A turnbutton or bolt knob 32 has a shank 33 projected through a boring 34 for rotational movement and has its inner end 35 flanged and keyed to a rollback or bolt lever 36, whose camming fingers 31 are offset from the body thereof and arranged to engage the on the line 8-8 of retracted position. "these conditions'in' view of its elongated char- 3 cross bar 22 against the extension 23 overhanging the inner side of the latch bolt shank.

The rollback or bolt lever 36 is formed with a camming notch 38, into which interfits the nose 39 of the sliding pawl 48, held to the inner face of the casing by the guide plate by means of screws 42 or like fastening elements. The guide plate 4| covers the recess 43, within which is positioned the locking button 44, which projects through the orifice 45 in the casing, and is held against displacement outwardly by the shoulder 46 in one direction.

The locking button 44 is formed with a shank 41, extending through an oval-shaped or elongated aperture 48, formed in the sliding pawl 45 and the guide aperture 48 formed in the guide plate 4|. A coiled spring 59 normally holds the locking button 44 and shank 41 in the retracted position.

The locking button shank 41 is formed with an annular slot 5|, into which the sliding pawl 48 may enter, when the rim outlinin the aperture 48 is aligned with the slot 5|, and for this purpose the slot 48 is arranged with its elongated dimension longitudinally of the casing and is normally pressed rearwardly by the leaf spring 52, (see Figure 4) anchored at one end in the plate 4i, and with its inwardly directed finger 53 engaging the edge of the sliding pawl 48. Thus, the pawl I 4|] is urged constantly against the shank ti, likewise tourge the extension 39 into engagement with the camming notch 38.

The shank 41 has its inwardly directed nose 54 rounded so as to be able to enter and locate itself in either one of the locking apertures 55 and 56, formed in the shank 28'. Thus, with the latch bolt i3 spring projected to the limiting position where the cross bar 23 engages the rollback or bolt lever 35, the locking vvaperture 55 is brought into alignment with the -.nose 54 of the locking button. depressing the locking button causes the nose In this position,

54 to enter the locking aperture 55 and to be held in this depressed position by the entry of the pawl 40 into the annular slot 5| formed on the shank 41, preventing withdrawal of the nose 54 from the locking aperture 55, as more clearly shown in Figure 5. This serves to dead-lock the latch bolt.

Upon rotation of the turnbutton 32, which movement carries with it the rollback or bolt lever 35, the latch bolt I3 is retracted against the withdraw the nose 54 from its engagement with the locking aperture 55, to reposition the locking button to its original position, as shown in Figures 2 and 8. This results in release of the latch bolt so thatfurther continued rotation of the turnbutton 32 retracts the latch bolt from its engagement with the strike plate.

Should it be found desirable to maintain the latch bolt in the fully retracted position, the push button 44 may then again be depressed, when the latch bolt reaches the fully retracted position shown in Figure 6, thereupon to enter the aperture 56 and to hold the latch bolt in the fully The turnbutton 32, under acter, will clearly indicate that the latch bolt is in the retracted position.

To reproject the latch bolt, rotation of the turnbutton 32 will serve to bring either one of the peripheral leading edges 51 into engagement with the nose 39, to depress the pawl 48, thereby releasing the nose 54 of the locking button 44 and projecting it to its position shown in Figure 6. (It is to be understood that the oamming fingers 31 are offset from the peripheral leadin edges 51 so that the nose portion 39 may fall behind the peripheral edges 5'! in the fully retracted position of the rollback 36.)

It will be understood that the spring 2'! will thereupon project the latch bolt for its latching purposes.

After assembly of the latch bolt mechanism heretofore described in the casing I0, I provide a-case plate 58, formed with screw holes 59,-

aligned with th screw holes 60 formed in bosses 6| of the casing, to leave a rim B2 to house the case plate 58. The case plate is provided with a key operated rollback 63 on a hub 54, in a mannerwell understood. This hub is formed with the usual slot 55, to slidingly receive the bar 65, connected with and operated by a cylinder lock or the like (not shown) faced in the direction of the exterior of the door. The case plate is provided with attaching apertures 61, 68, 59, for purposes which will appear more clearly as this description proceeds.

With the assembly as described and the case plate 58 in position, I thereupon afl-lx to the door an anchoring plate 10, which is of a form likewise to be received within the confines of the rim 62 of the latch casing H! but slightly shorter for purposes appearing hereafter.

The plate 18 is formed with forwardly directed offset fingers H, l2, 13 located in position corresponding to the apertures 61, 58, 59 when the plate 58 and the plate 18 are in position as shown in Figure 7. The heel 16 of the plate 10 is pro vided with an offset spring finger 11, held thereto by the rivet '18. The spring finger T! is arranged to enter the recess 18, which is generally conformed to the outline of the end of the spring finger H, thereby providing a shoulder 80.

For positioning the lock casing, I first nest the spring finger 11 in the recess 19, to engage the shoulder 80. Then the casing is moved forward against the tension of the spring finger 11 until the apertures 61, 68 and 69 are brought into alignment with the locking fingers ll, T2, 13. (See Figure 7.) Thereupon the casing I0 is pressed down to nest the plate 18 within the rim 62 of the casing. In this position, the casing is permitted to slide back under the resilient tension of the spring finger H, in which condition the spring 1'! assumes the position shown in Figure 2, whereupon the fingers H, 12 and '53 move over the plate 58 into overhanging position until the edge wall 74 of rim 62 moves into abutting position with the edge 15 of the plate 18 as the limiting position. This serves to lock the casing in position, without any further fastening means being required, and aligns the slot 65 adjacent the boring 8|, through which the bar 66' .or pin... Through the boring 82 the leaf-spring 11 may be deflected under pressure to be forced to expand and to enter the recess 83. This, displaced position of the spring or detent TI will permit thecasing Ill to be slid forwardly to an extent corresponding to th difference in length l of the casing rim and plate 10' and effect disenthe lockbutton depressed as shown in Figure 5, to

dead-lock the latch bolt, key operation is prevented so that privacy may be assured the occupant of a room equipped with this lock.

Should it be desired to forego this method of operation, extension fingers (not shown) may be provided to supply rotary. movement to the rollback 37 by rotation of the rollback 63, so that the first fractional movement of rotation given by 1 the bar 66 to the rollback 63 will likewise serve to impart a fractional rotary movement to the rollback 3?, to thereby actuat the pawl plate 4!! and release the locking button, to withdraw the locking nose 54 from its engagement with the recess 55 of the latch bolt shank 20. Other means for actuation of the rollback 31 upon initial rotation of the rollback 63 will suggest themselves tothe skilled worker in the art.

In another embodiment of my invention where synchronous movement of the rollbacks 31 and E3 is not found desirable, I may accomplish key operation of the latch bolt with the looking button dead-locking the latch bolt. For this purpose I refer to the embodiment disclosed in Figures 9 and 10.

In this construction the locking button 44a has its shank illa extended therefrom of a uniform diameter and uninterrupted, and guided through a plate 4 la which is formed with a guiding aperture iEa. As in the previous embodiment, a coiled spring Ella serves to retract the locking button 440, normally to its limiting position outwardly. portion fi ls of the shank 41a has adjacent to its end an annular latching slot m, to provide a lip or overhang 5lb.

In this embodiment the shank Zfia of the latch bolt is formed with slightly elongated or oval apertures'55a and 55a. When it is desired to dead-lock the latch bolt carried by the shank 20a, the locking button Ma is depressed to project the nose ala into the aperture 55a. The rounded nose serves to cam the shank Zila rearwardly to a small distance against its spring and engage the rim 5% of the aperture 55a. Continued forward movement of the locking button 44a to the point where the lip 5lb passes the rim 561) Will serve to drop the rim 58b of the shank 26a into engagement with the lip Slb, holding the locking button Ma in the depressed position against the spring tension of the spring 5011, as the coiled spring 21 tends to move the shank 29a forwardly.

The projection of the shank 41a through the locking aperture 55a effectively dead-locks the In this embodiment, however, a nose latch b-olt against any forceful jimmying action traction of the shank Zlla by either of the rollbackstl or 63 will serve to withdraw the rim 56b from engagement with the lip Eib, due to the tolerance provided by the elongated contour of the locking apertures 55a and 56a. The resultant movement serves to release the shank l'la from its position withinthe locking aperture 55a, by the springretracting action of the spring 590.. Further key operation or turnbutton operation will serve to retract the latch bolt it from its engagement with the strike plate.

Thus, by the construction described, it will be observed that I may secure locking of the latch bolt either in the dead-locked position or in the fully retracted position simply by depressing the locking button 40 in either of the positions of the latch bolt. It will also be observed that turnbutton operation of the rollback 3'! will simultaneously serve to disengage the locking button from its engaging position with the latch bolt shank, without any further attention to performing the operation of releasing the dead-locking being necessary. Thus, manipulation of the turnbutton 32 by the occupant of a room equipped with this lock is all that is necessary to simultaneously release the latch bolt from the deadlocked position and retract the same. Also, where the turn button holds the latch bolt in the fully retracted position as shown in Figure 6', and with the locking button depressed, all that is necessary is to turn the turnbutton to the neutral position, which releases the locking button by the operation previously described, to project the latch bolt.

It will be understood that while I prefer to include the entire assembly in a lock in accordance with my construction, segregated portions thereof may have utility as outlined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a latch having a casing including a spring projected latch bolt which may be deadlatched or held in retracted position; having a shank portion guided therein, the combination therewith comprising a rollback for said latch bolt shank, a dogging member for the latch bolt guided through the casing transversely to the direction of movement of said latch bolt shank, including spring means to normally retract the same, said dogging means being depressible against said spring means to engage means on said shank, means for latching said dogging means in dogging engagement with said shank and releasable to retract the doggin means upon. actuation of said rollback. the dogging member serving either as a means to hold the bolt in retracted position or to dead-latch the same in either of the positions of the latch bolt.

2. In a latch having a casing including a spring projected latch bolt which may be deadlatched or held in retracted position; and a shank guided in the casing, the combination therewith comprising a normally spring retracted dogging element guided transversely to the direction of movement of said latch bolt shank, spring means for retracting said dogging means, means formed on said shank engageable by said doggin member to dead-bolt said latch bolt, latching means for said dogging element to hold said dogging element in latch bolt shank engaging position against the tension of its spring means, rollback means for said latch bolt having a connection to release said latching means for said dogging means upon actuation of said rollback, the dogging element serving either as ameans to hold J the latching position;

3. In a latch having a casing including a spring I projected'latch bolt which maybe dead-latched or held in retracted position; and a shank for the latch bolt guided in the casing, the combination therewith comprising a plunger and means on said shank engageable by said plunger to dead-latch said latch bolt shank, spring means to retract said plunger, a pawl for holding said plunger in latch bolt shank engaging position when depressed manually, a rollback for the said latch bolt and means having a connection betweensaid rollback and said pawl to release said pawl from engagement with the shank upon actuation of said rollback, the plunger serving either as a means to hold the bolt in retracted position or to dead-latch the same in either of the positions of the latch bolt.

4. In a latch having a casing including a spring projected latch bolt which may be dead-latched or held in retracted position; and a shank for said latch bolt guided in the casing, the combination therewith comprising rollback means for retracting said latch bolt, a plunger type dogging element and spring means for normally retracting said dogging element, means on said shank of said bolt to receive said dogging element when depressed to do said latch bolt, a pawl for holding said dogging member in depressed position, means on said pawl having a connection with the rollback to release said dogging element upon actuation of said rollback, the clogging element serving either as a means to hold the bolt in retracted position or to dead-latch the same in either of the positions of the latch bolt.

5. In a latch having a casing including a spring projected latch bolt mounted upon a shank guided in the casing, the combination therewith comprising a clogging element guided through said casing arranged to engage locking apertures on said shank, spring means for normally retracting said dogging means, pawl means for latching said dogging means in engaging position with respect to said locking apertures, and a rollback for said latch bolt having cainrning means for said pawl.

6. In a latch having a casing including a spring projected latch bolt mounted upon a shank guided in the casing, the combination therewi h comprising a dogging element guided through said casing arranged to engage locking apertures on said shank, spring means for normally retracting said dogging means, pawl means for latching said dogging means in engagin position with respect to said locking apertures, and a rollback for said latch bolt having camming means for said pawl in one position to release said pawl to retract said dogging element from dead-. locking position and having another camming portion to release said pawl to project said latch bolt from the fully retracted position,

7. In a latch having a casing including 'atspring projected latch bolt' and a shank guided in the casing, a rollback for the latch bolt, the combination therewith comprising a spring retractible locking button having a shank, locking apertures on the latch bolt shank engageable by the locking button shank for dogging the latch bolt, means for latching the locking button shank in dogging position with the latch bolt shank and means connected with the operation of the rollback .for releasing the locking button shank from 8. In a latch having a casin including a spring projected latch bolt mounted upon .a shank guided in the casing and rollback means for said latch bolt, the combination therewith comprising a spring retracted locking button having a dogging shank depressible into engagement with means on the latch bolt shank to dead-latch the bolt or hold the same in retracted position, means for latching the dogging shank in engagement with the means on the latch bolt shank and camming means connected with the operation of said rollback to unlatch said dogging shank from engagement with the means on the latch bolt shank and thereby release the locking device from dogging position with respect to the latch bolt shank.

9. In a latch having a spring projected latch bolt and a shank guided in the casing, and rollback means for retracting thelatch bolt, locking apertures on said latch bolt shank, a locking button having a dogging shank normally spring retracted but projectibie into engagement with said locking apertures of said latch bolt shank,

pawl means to hold said dogging shank in engaging position with one of said apertures and camming means efiective upon actuation of the rollback to disengage said pawl means to spring retract the locking button and dogging shank.

l0. Ina latch having a casing including a spring projected. latch'bolt and shank therefor guided in the casing, rollback means for retracting the latch bolt, the combination therewith comprising a pushbutton type locking button including a dogging shank, locking apertures on said latch bolt shank engageable by said first shank, pawl means to latch said dogging shank in latch bolt shank engaging position and camming means on said rollback for engaging said pawl means to unlatch the same and permit retraction of said dogging shank upon actuation of said latch bolt to retract the latch bolt.

11. In a latch havin a casing, a spring projected latch bolt and a shank affixed to the latch bolt and guided in the casing, with rollback means connected with the shank for retracting the latch bolt, the combination therewith com- 7 prising a spring retracted locking button having a shank including a dogging nose arranged to engage means on the latch bolt shank to hold the latch bolt in a retracted position or to deadlatch the same against end pressure,- means engaging the shank of said locking button to hold the dogging nose in projected position against its spring retracting means, and rollback operated means to release the dogging nose from engagement with the shank of said latch bolt in the retracted or dead-latched position of the latch bolt.

12. In a latch having a casing including a spring projected latch bolt mounted upon a shank guided in the casing, and roll back means for said latch bolt, the combination therewith comprising a spring retracted lockin button having a dogging shank depressibleinto engagement with means on the latch bolt shank to hold it from sliding, means for latching the dogging shank in engagement with means on the latch bolt shank, and cam'ming means connected with the operation of said roll back means to unlatch said dogging shank from engagement with the means on the latch bolt shank, and thereby release the device from dogging position with respect to the latch bolt shank.

and guided in the casing, with roll back means connected with the shank for retracting the latch bolt, the combination therewith comprising a spring retracted locking button having a shank including a dogging nose arranged to engage the wall of locking means on the latch bolt shank, to hold the latch bolt shank against movement, means engaging the shank of said locking button to hold the dogging nose in projected position against its spring retracting means, and roll back operated means to release the dogging nose from engagement with the shank of said latch bolt.

CHARLES H. NEHLS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,816,259 Lande July 28, 1931 2,220,591 Voight et a1. Nov. 5, 1940 2,232,937 Brauning et a1. Feb, 25, 1941 2,223,765 Komenak Dec, 3, 1940 2,268,743 Falk Jan. 6, 1942 2,038,907 Schlage Apr. 28, 1936 

